The manufacture of items generally involves a multitude of steps or processes to take the item or part from raw materials to finished part. The particular processes vary from one industry to the next and according to the materials used. However, there are some processes that cut across multiple industries. For example, forming, preparation, and finishing processes are typically utilized in the manufacture of plastic and metal items. In addition, each process typically entails more than one step. More specifically, finishing includes processes such as cleaning, de-greasing, etching, deoxidizing, reducing, painting, chemical deposition, and/or the like. These processes are similar in that they generally involve immersing or otherwise coating a fabricated part in a solution or chemically reactive solution. Typically, a large batch of parts is dipped into a tank, held in the tank for some length of time and then moved to a rinse tank or another tank of some other chemically reactive solution.
A disadvantage associated with conventional metal part fabrication is that parts are processed in a “batch and queue” manner. That is, some steps involve machines that lend themselves to single item workflow, while other steps require batch processing. Thus, parts queue up as they are processed one or a few at a time when the following steps are preformed in great batches. For example, conventional chemical processing and painting systems are generally designed for batching hundreds or thousands of parts through the process. In addition, chemical processing tanks are typically located in a separate facility away from the fabrication process. The tanks are typically large, e.g. a 20,000 gallon capacity, and do not lend themselves to producing a flow of single work pieces. These and other factors lead to large investments of time and materials prior to the production of a first part. Lead time between batches is also quite large and, if a faulty batch is produced or production is stopped while a batch is in process, a great amount of materials will be wasted.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a device and system for manufacturing items and a method of use that is capable of overcoming the disadvantages described herein at least to some extent.